Comments on: The Jackassery of Traffic Laws http://manunderstress.com/2009/05/25/bicycling-laws/ insomnia and bad grammar since 2001 Wed, 25 May 2011 21:52:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: man.under.stress http://manunderstress.com/2009/05/25/bicycling-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-7043 man.under.stress Sun, 31 May 2009 23:38:19 +0000 http://manunderstress.com/?p=1477#comment-7043 Oh please. Some riders ride like assholes, uh, of course. Who would argue against that? I am arguing a perspective, that others would most likely share if they commuted with a bicycle for a couple of months. Interstates? Seriously? Of course I am talking about in town commuting. I don't think you understand at all what I am saying, which is simply that on a bicycle, it makes little sense to stop at stop signs or traffic lights when no one is around and you are going uphill and need to keep momentum. Minor fucking infractions. Who fucking cares!!! I'm not talking about the dick that rides through an intersection without looking...and I made that very clear. And yes, cars are often in my way, car drivers are impatiently getting NOWHERE in a hurry (in a city, er, not an interstate), car drivers brazenly "own" the road, bicyclists get verbally harassed, and sometimes physically. Not many bikers I know use headphones. It's considered pretty fucking stupid. But look at all the distractions in cars: videos, cell phones, radio. I don't really know what you are arguing. Some bicyclists and some drivers are dicks. They are usually the same person. Oh please. Some riders ride like assholes, uh, of course. Who would argue against that? I am arguing a perspective, that others would most likely share if they commuted with a bicycle for a couple of months. Interstates? Seriously? Of course I am talking about in town commuting.

I don’t think you understand at all what I am saying, which is simply that on a bicycle, it makes little sense to stop at stop signs or traffic lights when no one is around and you are going uphill and need to keep momentum. Minor fucking infractions. Who fucking cares!!! I’m not talking about the dick that rides through an intersection without looking…and I made that very clear.

And yes, cars are often in my way, car drivers are impatiently getting NOWHERE in a hurry (in a city, er, not an interstate), car drivers brazenly “own” the road, bicyclists get verbally harassed, and sometimes physically. Not many bikers I know use headphones. It’s considered pretty fucking stupid. But look at all the distractions in cars: videos, cell phones, radio.

I don’t really know what you are arguing. Some bicyclists and some drivers are dicks. They are usually the same person.

]]> By: Curt http://manunderstress.com/2009/05/25/bicycling-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-7042 Curt Sun, 31 May 2009 19:26:29 +0000 http://manunderstress.com/?p=1477#comment-7042 "As long as a cyclist is riding accountably..." is a HUUUUGE assumption, amigo. We could say the same thing for automobile laws, too- right? Tell me, are the bikers with their iPods on 'riding accountably'? Honestly, I don't have a problem with 99% of the bike riders out there, but the problem is with the 1% who zip out in front of me in L5P, or suddenly jut far enough into the lane (Scott/Ponce) that I have to slow down to their speed and create a jam for the dozen or so people in cars behind me. Bikers are often people that want EQUALITY when it benefits them, but EXCEPTION when it benefits them. The Libertarian way, I guess. And bikers never offer for any accountability for their potential for accidents. As a driver, I agree to carry a license, insurance, and register my vehicle. If I drive like a fuck-nut, I can be tracked down and my privileges (not rights) can be revoked. If I cause an accident with another, they'll be compensated. Do you care to offer the same as a biker? Probably not. If a biker ever was responsible for an accident (Oh, I'm sure they would swear up-and-down that they were 'riding accountably' but something totally bullshit happened and it's not their fault), I think we can all visualize them high-tailing it outta Dodge rather than assuming responsibility. I love your talk-radio-host worthy 'my perspective' argument- "I find most of the time that I am passing cars in city traffic, and that THEY are like giant cumbersome animals" Hmmmm. I notice you are disregarding all of the Interstates that you aren't riding on as if they don't exist. Classic. And I stop fully at stop signs all the fucking time. It's really not that much of a hassle, and it occasionally saves my ass from something I didn't see. I also drive the speed limits, and keep to the right lane. “As long as a cyclist is riding accountably…” is a HUUUUGE assumption, amigo. We could say the same thing for automobile laws, too- right? Tell me, are the bikers with their iPods on ‘riding accountably’? Honestly, I don’t have a problem with 99% of the bike riders out there, but the problem is with the 1% who zip out in front of me in L5P, or suddenly jut far enough into the lane (Scott/Ponce) that I have to slow down to their speed and create a jam for the dozen or so people in cars behind me. Bikers are often people that want EQUALITY when it benefits them, but EXCEPTION when it benefits them. The Libertarian way, I guess.

And bikers never offer for any accountability for their potential for accidents. As a driver, I agree to carry a license, insurance, and register my vehicle. If I drive like a fuck-nut, I can be tracked down and my privileges (not rights) can be revoked. If I cause an accident with another, they’ll be compensated. Do you care to offer the same as a biker? Probably not. If a biker ever was responsible for an accident (Oh, I’m sure they would swear up-and-down that they were ‘riding accountably’ but something totally bullshit happened and it’s not their fault), I think we can all visualize them high-tailing it outta Dodge rather than assuming responsibility.

I love your talk-radio-host worthy ‘my perspective’ argument- “I find most of the time that I am passing cars in city traffic, and that THEY are like giant cumbersome animals” Hmmmm. I notice you are disregarding all of the Interstates that you aren’t riding on as if they don’t exist. Classic.

And I stop fully at stop signs all the fucking time. It’s really not that much of a hassle, and it occasionally saves my ass from something I didn’t see. I also drive the speed limits, and keep to the right lane.

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